Recipe Makeover: Lighter, Protein-Packed Pound Cake

Health.com

July 04, 2012

There’s nothing better than incorporating seasonal berries into summertime desserts. From shortcakes to sugared berries with whipped cream, they truly make a fantastic option for the post-dinner sweet tooth.

With summer now in full-bloom, I’m sure many of you are hosting or attending a good number of cookouts, which is exactly why I took to the kitchen to makeover this traditional Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake.

I made just a few simple tweaks to make this dish lighter, higher in protein, and an absolute cinch to pull together. Follow the substitutions below and you’ll have a fresh summer dessert that's ready in no time. Even the greatest dessert snobs won’t be able to turn it down!

4 tbsp. pineapple cream cheese (In place of the 4 tbsp. of pineapple cream cheese, I used 4tbsp. of low-fat pineapple Greek yogurt, such as Chobani, to up the protein and decrease the fat making it lighter and more satisfying. If you have more time on your hands, you can make your own by adding fresh pineapple to plain non-fat Greek yogurt, and pulse a couple times in a blender or food processor)

8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices pound cake (While you can just pick up pound cake at the grocery store for convenience, I would recommend making this Lighter Summer Pound Cake if time permits which contains whole grains, natural sweetener, and less cholesterol and fat).

Sweetened whipped cream (For this I simply replaced the sweetened whipped cream with skim milk whipped with a 1/4 tsp. of agave and 1/4 tsp. of vanilla until light and fluffy. This is lighter and lower in fat and calories than regular whipped cream)

This makeover came out beautifully. It was super light, and the grilled pound cake just melted in my mouth with each bite. Replacing the cream cheese with Greek yogurt worked out great thanks to the yogurt’s thick texture—and it tasted delicious! Each bite of this dessert was fresh, satisfying, and filling—what more could you want from a summer dessert?